Forging Strength
Three months had passed since enrolling into Zenith, and our endurance and strength had increased greatly. We had grown accustomed to the rigorous training and could keep up the pace throughout the day. The trainings were progressively becoming more intense, but our bodies were being considered, giving us difficult training some days and easier ones on the following days to allow us to recover.
Over these past three months, I had grown closer to our little group, except for Takeshi, who still kept to himself. Despite talking to them every day at the cafeteria, I still didn't feel the deep bond necessary to truly call them my friends, but I was comfortable being with them. Today was our last day of training before we could finally start using Regalia. I had actually practiced a bit on my own a couple of times, inspired by Takeshi, but the extent of my training was simply creating different objects and trying to understand my limitations.
"Good morning, recruits," Ms. Hawthorne began like every other day. "Today is your last day of physical training, and starting tomorrow, we will begin training your Regalia. Each one of you will be assigned your own mentor who should be able to closely understand your power and help you hone it. Mornings will continue to be physical training, but the afternoons will be dedicated to your Regalia." With the end of that announcement, training began.
Afterward, I headed back to the dorms to shower, but on the way, Yukiko stopped me once again. "Hey, you excited?" she said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"About the Regalia training?" I asked.
"Duh, what else!" she replied, playfully nudging my shoulder.
"Yeah, I want to get stronger, so I've been looking forward to it," I admitted, feeling a bit more relaxed around her.
"ME TOO! I can't wait to become an elite tier user! It would be cool if we made it to that tier together!" she exclaimed, her excitement infectious.
I smiled at her enthusiasm. "It would be amazing. But I've got a long way to go." By now, I played along with her belief that I was strong. It was all she seemed to want to talk about, and soon after this, the conversation dwindled, and she said goodbye. For some time now, Yukiko had been sparking random short conversations with me. If I had to say, she was the closest person I could call a friend.
The class about Regalia began a different topic today. They spoke about a more recent discovery and lesser-known technique about Regalia. The HONE system would teach us how to optimize and nurture energy in our bodies to enhance our overall physical abilities. They said that moving forward in training, we were to become actively aware of the energy that fuels Regalia and harness it in our muscles, bones, and tendons to make us slightly stronger and faster. I couldn't wait to try this in training.
•
Finally, the day arrived when we were to be trained individually by our respective mentors in the same field where we had been training for months. Everyone's mentor was punctual, fit, and dressed in standard military attire. I couldn't help but notice that my mentor was the exception. Not only was he late, but he also appeared quite thin, with unkempt blonde hair, and wore casual clothes—completely unfit for training. Why was I the only one with such bad luck?
"Hey kid, my name is Jasper," he said, finally showing up.
"Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Natsuya Kiyotaka."
"Alright, Matsuda, what are we doing today?" he replied, getting my name wrong.
"Sir, you are to train me to use my Regalia, and my name is Natsuya."
"That's right..." Jasper said, hitting his fist into his open palm as if he finally remembered. "Okay, Matsuda, let me show you what I can do, and then you copy it."
He then created a sword that seemed to radiate raw power. The sword floated next to him, its blade shimmering with an otherworldly sharpness. The air around it seemed to hum as it sliced through effortlessly. Suddenly, Jasper launched the sword at an incredible speed, faster than anything I had seen before. It flew straight into a tree, piercing straight through it as if it was a spear. We were explicitly told not to destroy anything, but I guess for Jasper, this was more of a suggestion than a rule.
"Okay, now you do it," he instructed.
"Sir, my Regalia is creation. I don't think I can do that."
"Have you tried?"
"No, but—"
"Then try it." With that, he gave me a satisfied smile and left, as if he had completed his job.
I was left alone to practice a technique I wasn't even sure I could do. Despite my doubts, he had a point—I hadn't tried. So, I began creating swords and attempting to launch them. But time after time, the swords simply fell to the ground. I shifted my focus from creating and launching swords to making them sharper and sharper, trying to mimic Jasper's blade that seemed to cut through the very air.
Everyone else was training with their mentors from start to finish, receiving pointers and guidance. I felt a pang of jealousy as I watched them. All I got was a demonstration and an assignment. It looked like learning about the HONE system would be something I had to do on my own if my mentor wasn't going to be around.
After our evening training, our group headed to the cafeteria. The room buzzed with chatter as everyone shared their experiences, what they had learned, and what they were working on. The warm lighting and the smell of various foods made the cafeteria a cozy place to unwind after a long day.
"What did you learn, Natsuya? I noticed your mentor left really early on," asked the friendly Emily.
"My mentor didn't teach me anything! He gave me homework and left," I replied, trying to express my dissatisfaction.
"You should be happy, Natsuya," said Yukiko.
"How so?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"You are being trained by none other than the elite-tier user Jasper Sterling. They say the only reason he doesn't move up to ascendant tier is his own laziness," she explained.
Everyone at the table was shocked, their expressions mirroring my surprise. Whispers and murmurs spread quickly as they processed the information.
"An elite-tier user? Really?" said Haruto, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Wow, that's incredible," Mei Ling added, her voice tinged with awe. "I think I've heard stories about him."
"Yeah, but what's the point if he doesn't actually train you?" Ryuji chimed in.
I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "I guess his complete nonchalant attitude makes sense now. But still, I wish he'd actually teach me something useful."
"Maybe he's trying to push you to discover your own potential," Akira suggested, her dark brown eyes thoughtful. "Sometimes, the best way to learn is through self-discovery."
"Or maybe he's just lazy," Daniel added with a chuckle, earning a few laughs from the group.
"Either way, you should try to make the most of it," Sophia advised. "You've got a rare opportunity to learn from one of the best, even if he's unconventional."
I nodded, taking in their words. Despite my frustration, I realized they had a point. Jasper Sterling's reputation might mean I had the exceptionally rare opportunity to learn from a top tier Regalia user.
•
Jasper was not on time today either, so I began practicing throwing blades like he did again. But just as before, the swords were created mid-air and immediately fell. After some time, Jasper walked up, seeing me fail again and again.
"Can't get it, huh?" he asked, his tone casual but with a hint of curiosity.
"No, sir. My Regalia is creation. I cannot do what you can," I replied, feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
"Miyamoto, if your Regalia is creation, shouldn't you be able to create the energy to launch the swords?" he suggested. It also seems my name changes every time we meet.
"....." I was silent, taken aback by his suggestion. Truth be told, that had not occurred to me at all. Create my own force, huh.
"You are too focused on the previous beliefs of creation. Be creative and try to create anything and everything, and then when you finally find out what you can't create, only then will you understand your limitations," he explained.
"But, sir, how do I even start with something like that?" I asked, my curiosity piqued but my mind clouded with doubt.
"I don't know, figure it out," he said, shrugging. I had hoped for more guidance, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case.
I nodded, trying to absorb his advice. I closed my eyes, focusing on the concept of energy. I visualized the force needed to propel the sword, imagining the power coursing through my body and into the blade. Slowly, I extended my hand, and a sword materialized mid-air. I concentrated, willing the energy to push it forward.
"Creation is only as boundless as your imagination," Jasper said, offering one last piece of advice before turning to leave.
The rest of the day, I continued practicing, but no matter what, I kept failing. It seemed the limit of my creation was this. I didn't want to give up, though, not until I explored every avenue. I began by seeing the atoms, then forming my desired weapon, and finally visualizing the forces surrounding the weapon and creating a launching force to propel the sword forward. After finishing this mental process, I looked for the sword on the ground next to me as every attempt had been. However, this time the sword was still levitating. As I looked up, the sword lost its stability, wobbled a bit, and fell down.
"I can do this," I thought to myself.
For the first time, I truly believed that my Regalia had the potential to be something extraordinary. If Jasper was an Elite Tier user using a Regalia that launches weapons and I am capable of recreating that, then that means I can become strong too. Aiko, when I come back, I am going to be a completely different person. I can't wait to see your face then.
By the time I headed to the evening dinner, I felt a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. Although I continued failing, every so often the swords I created defied the laws of physics and levitated a little bit before falling to the ground. I was taking small steps forward.
•
The next day, Jasper once again came for a few minutes, looked at my progress, and was about to leave before he stopped himself and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. I was told to inform you that your cohort will be participating in a tournament with last year's cohort two months from now. You will be forming cells of three, I think. And then facing other opponents. Anyways, keep working hard because they have way more experience." Afterwards informing me of the tournament, he simply waved his hand and walked off.
Cells of three. I was definitely going to drag whoever was in my group down. This is bad. I need to improve fast.